Egypt has recently received a large batch of long-range anti-tank guided missiles, “Vikhr-1,” from Russia, according to media reports. The missiles are designed to arm the Egyptian Air Force’s fleet of KA-52 “Alligator” attack helicopters, which are also of Russian origin.
The “Vikhr-1” missiles are capable of hitting targets up to 12 km away, using a laser-beam riding guidance system. They have a tandem high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead that can penetrate up to 1000 mm of armor. The missiles are manufactured by KBP Instrument Design Bureau, a leading Russian company in the field of guided weapons.
The KA-52 “Alligator” helicopters are among the most advanced attack helicopters in the world, featuring a coaxial rotor system, a glass cockpit, a helmet-mounted display, and an ejection seat. The helicopters are developed by Kamov Design Bureau, another prominent Russian firm in the helicopter industry.
Egypt has decided to equip the its 46 Ka-52 (Hokum-B) attack helicopters with Russian ATGMs. As a result, the country has chosen two types of anti-tank missiles, namely, 9A1472 Vikhr-1 and 9M120 Ataka (AT-9 Spiral-2) missiles.
Egypt is the only foreign customer of the KA-52 helicopters, having ordered 46 units in 2015. The deliveries were completed between 2017 and 2019. The Egyptian version of the helicopter is the KA-52K (Katran), which is modified to operate from the decks of the two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships that Egypt acquired from France in 2015.
The Mistral-class ships, named Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Al-Sadat, were originally built for Russia by the French shipbuilder DCNS (now Naval Group), but the deal was canceled due to the sanctions imposed on Russia following the annexation of Crimea. Egypt stepped in to buy the ships, reportedly with the financial support of Saudi Arabia.
The acquisition of the KA-52K helicopters and the “Vikhr-1” missiles is part of Egypt’s efforts to modernize its military and enhance its regional influence, especially in the context of the rising tensions in the Middle East.
Egypt intends to buy about 1000 Vikhrs and the same quantity of 9M120 Ataka ATGMs. In total, the country may acquire up to 2000 of Russian missiles for Ka-52 attack helicopters.
The Egyptian Air Force also operates other types of Russian-made helicopters, such as the Mi-8/17 and the Mi-24/35, as well as Western-made ones, such as the AH-64 Apache and the UH-60 Black Hawk.
